Electric discharge, ultra high frequency generating, and switching tube



I y A. VANG 2,423,858

ELECTRIC DISCHARGE, ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY GENERATING, AND SWITCHING TUBEFiled Feb. 24, 1944 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 :r llllllll ll "INI llllilllINVENTOR. Al-FRED mm BY flay la. 0%

JITORNEY July 15, 1941;

A. VANG ELECTRIC DISCHARGE, ULTRA HIGH FREQUENCY GENERATING, ANDSWITCHING TUBE Filed Feb. 24,}944 SSheets-Sheet 3 I IIIJ III IN V ENTOR. I41 FRED VJNG.

Iii- I QM.

ATTORNEY Patented July 15, 1947 ELECTRIC DISCHARGE, ULTRA HIGH FRE-QUENCY GENERATING, AND SWITCHING TUBE Alfred Vang, New York, N. Y.

Application February 24, 1944, Serial No. 523,634

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in electricdischarge, ultra high frequency generating, and switching tubes, and ithas more particular reference to improvements on my electrical dischargetubes of the United States Patent No. 2,287,541, issued June 23, 1942,which improvements will make them more valuable for discharging, orswitching heavy electric currents, or generating ultra high frequencycurrents.

Under the impetus of the great strides made in industrialization, theelectric industry is growing very rapidly. Great demand has developedfor better and improved equipment to handle the ever increasing volumeof electric power at rapidly increasing frequencies, voltages andamperage. The equipment now used for handling heavy currents isinadequate and quite dangerous.

The use of my discharge tubes for generating high frequency currents isof immense value in numerous industries. Its present greatest value isin the welding art, though this is but one art of many in which it maybe used. In accordance with this invention it is proposed that thedischarge tube be used as a generator of ultra high frequency currents,by converting relatively low frequency currents. It is contemplated thatthe low frequency feeding current and the delivered ultra high frequencycurrents may be separated and independently used.

The invention also contemplates the use of a conductor coil arrangedexternally of the envelope and within the field of the ultra highfrequency current, generated by said discharge tube for picking up ultrahigh frequency impulses. This coil may be connected up with a suitablecapacitor. The presence of the high frequency impulse may easily bedetected by a neon tube and certain electric lights.

At switchboards and other switching points, it is customary to use aswitching mechanism in which circuits are made and broken by engagingand disengaging a pair of contacts. Generally, these contacts areexposed and quite dangerous. Often vicious electric arcs are drawn whenthe contacts are separated to open electric circuits. Such exposed arcsare highly undesirable. Not only do they cause a heavy wear and tear onthe contacts themselves by generating high degrees of heat, but there isalways the danger present that they will be uncontrollable for onereason or another, and short-circuit equipment, and even seriously hurtor electrocute Persons and cause explosions of fumes, which may bepresent. This is particularly true for ultra high frequency currents oflarge voltage.

Numerous attempts have been made to construct equipment which would berelatively safe. Devices have been provided to blow out these arcs asthey occur. Some equipments have used blasts of air to do this. Othersystems make use of magnetism to blow out the arcs. In other equipmentsshields of various types have been made to confine the arcs. In stillother equipments the arcs have been surrounded with oil or other fluids.

However, under present day conditions, with a continuous increase in thepower being used, it has been found on many occasions that the presentequipment does not match up to the job.

My discharge tube, as disclosed in my patent, supra, is well adapted toact as a switching, high frequency current generating and dischargedevice. An important feature of its construction resides in the factthat the are is at all times confined within an insulation envelope, ofwhich the tube is made. With this arrangement, the dangers previouslypointed out have been materially decreased. Moreover, my design of tubesis especially well adapted to handle very large currents. For thisreason, it offers a simple solution for the problems pointed out above.

However, it has been found desirable to add certain importantimprovements to my said patented invention, to adapt the tube for thenew purposes stated.

In the first place, it is proposed to provide means externally of thetube for restricting the flow of current through the tube. With thisaddition the discharge tube also becomes a switching tube. The externalmeans, thus referred to, may take any number of different forms, ordesigns, and work in accordance with any number of different methods.Several of said forms of the invention have been disclosed in thisapplication. In one form, the restricting means has been disclosed inthe nature of electro-magnetic means.

tion, one or a plurality of electro-magnetic coils is proposed, arrangedaround the tube for constricting the arc at these points within thetube. This restriction of the flow of current may be used for manydifferent purposes.

The invention also proposes the provision of novel cooling means for thedischarge tube. When the tube is used for extra high currents, fordischarge and switching purposes for long periods of time, there is atendency for the envelope to heat up. This invention discloses severalways for radiating the heat to keep said temperature down. With theconstructions suggested and disclosed, it is possible to use the tubefor the control of greater power discharges.

The invention contemplates characterizing the cooling means bycirculatinga coolant around thedischarge tube, numerous coolants areproposed, both liquid and gaseous. In one form of the invention water orother vapors are proposed and supersonic vibrations are used forspeeding up the transfer of heat from the discharge tube to the coolingvapors.

with the above and other objects in view, this invention consists of thnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts,hereinafter fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this application, and in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all views, andin which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view, illustrating the manner in which my tubemay be used as a high frequency generator. I

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of my electric discharge andswitching tube, constructed in accordance with another form ,ofthisinvention.

,of'an electric discharge and switching tube constructed according tostill another form of this invention.

Figure 7 is a side elevational view of another electric discharge tubeconstructed in accordance with a somewhat different form of thisinvention.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken on the line 8-8of Figure 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in Figure 1, onearrangement has been shown of the improved electric discharge tube inwhich it has been connected up as a generator for ultra high frequencycurrents. This generator tube includes the usual insulation materialenvelope I 0, containing a pair of mercury electrodes II, or electrodesof other suitable material. The interior compass of the envelope I0 israrefied and charged with a conducting gas or other media. A startingelectrode I2 is associated with the tube and connected with a startingcircuit I 3.

The electrodes H are connected up in a circult I, which includes thesecondary I5 of a transformer l6, having a primary II. It is intendedthat the primary ll be connected with an alternating current. such as isusually supplied for commercial purposes. The transformer l6 should beof a design to step up the voltage to Figure 3 is an end elevationalview of the tube several thousand or more volts. An experimental tubewhich I have used in the laboratory was supplied with twenty-flvethousand volts and worked excellently. The electrodes ii are alsoconnected up with a circuit l8 for the ultra high frequency currentwhich is generated by the discharge tube. It is intended that thiscircuit is be associated with suitable choke mechanism which permitspassage only of the high frequency current desired.

A coil it of conducting material is wound externally around the envelopeit. This coil is connected by a lead 20 with a capacitance coil 2i. Theultra high frequency current generated within the discharge tube willproduce an ultra-high frequency field, which will set up inducedcurrents in the coil it. These currents may b ie-' tected by a neonlamp, other types of lamps, wave meters, and other measuringinstruments.

The electric discharge and switching tube, disclosed in the Figures 2and 3, includes a closed envelope 25 of insulation material, having a.pair of spaced portions 26, which are lower than the portion 21 betweensaid spaced portions 26. A mercury electrode 28 is provided for each ofsaid pair of spaced portions 26 for connection in an external electriccircuit for conducting current through said tube 25. Each electrode 28includes a pool of'mercury 29, disposed in said low portions," anelectric-lead 30 extending th'rough the material of the envelope 25 tothe exterior.

Starting and control electrodes 3| located outside of the envelope 25 isprovided for controlling the flow of electrlccurrent through the tube.Up to this point the electric discharge tube is substantially identicalto the tube disclosed in my patent referred to above.

The improved tube now distinguishes in the provision of means externalof the tube for restricting the flow of current through the tube. Thismeans includes an electro-magnet 32 located between the said pair ofspaced portions 26 and opposed to a plurality of baflie plates 33,located within the envelope 25 at the side remote from th electro-magnet32. The electro-magnet 32 is connected in an electric circuit 34,controlled by a switch 35. When the switch 35 is closed, theelectro-magnet 32 becomes energized and the magnetism. will blow theelectric arc within the envelope 25 against the baflle plates 33.lengthening the arc and thus increasing the resistance within the tubeand causing the arc to break and thus turn off the current through thetube.

The improved tube is also equipped with cooling means characterized byan outer envelope I6, encaslng said envelope 25. Nipples 31 are mountedon the ends of the envelope 36 and are provided with an inlet 38 and anoutlet 39, through which a cooling fluid may be circulated. It isproposed that the space 40 between the envelopes 25 and 36 be verysmall, so that the efliciency of the radiating system will be relativelygreat. However, in order to make the space 40 small, it becomes aproblem to insert the envelope 25 within the envelope 36. This problemhas been solved by making the envelopes annular, concentric and helical.With this arrangement, it is an easy matter to screw the envelopestogether. The helical construction of the envelopes may easily berecognized by an inspection of Figure 3. The electro-magnet 32 is shownmounted on a bridge 4| constructed between the sides of the outerenvelope 36.

The coolant which is to be circulated through various purposes.

' the space 40 may be either liquid or gaseous. 1!

vapor a, vibration diaphragm in the nature of a sheet metal ring 43 ismounted across one end of the outer envelope 36., This ring 43 isprovided with an armature 44 which may be attracted and repelled by thepositive and negative electromagnet 45-, suitably supported by a bracket45. The electro-magnet 45 is capable of vibrating the diaphragm 43 withsonic or supersonic vibrations. These vibrations will be transmitted tothe gaseous substance circulating through the space 40, facilitating thetransfer of heat i'rom the envelope 25 to the cooling medium.

' In the Figures 4 and 5, a modified form of the invention has beendisclosed in which the electric conducting current through the tube. Aplurality of coils 5! are arranged transversely of the envelope 41 atspaced points alongthe tube. Electric circuits 52 control the passage ofcurrent through the coils 5|. One of the coils 5| may be used as astarting electrode for theielectric curhas an inlet" and an outlet 61for the coolin fluid. The cooling fluid may be 011, water, or'

brine, or other material capable of conducting heat given of! by theenvelope." to prevent overheating.

In Figures 7 and 8 still another form of the invention is disclosed, inwhich the electric discharge and switching tube includes aclosedinverted U-shaped envelope 10, having mercury electrodes. II atits ends. This tube is provided with starting and control electrodes 12.A plurality of fins I3 are mounted upon the envelope III at spacedpositions for the purpose of air cooling the tube by convection.

' It is obvious that slight changes may be'made in the form,construction and arrangement of the several parts, as shown, within thescope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of myinvention, and I do not, therefore, wish to limit myself to the exactconstruction and arrangement shown and described herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. An electric discharge and switching tube, comprising a closedenvelope of insulation material, having apair of spaced electrodes forconnection in an external electric current, amedium adapted to beionized, for conducting. current through said-envelope, a starting andcontrol electrode outside of said envelope for controlling electriccurrent flowing through said envelope,

rent which is to flow through the tube. The series 7 of coils 5i may beused for restricting the flow of current through the tube. As currentflows through the coils 5|, the magnetism from the coils will constrictthe are through the envelope 41. For each coil 5i there will be aseparate constriction. This restricted current may be used for Bysuitably operating the circuits 52, it is possible to modulatea directcurrent into a pulsating current of various characteristics.

In Figure 6 another form of the invention has been disclosed, in whichan electric discharge tube of insulation material is provided with a 7pair of spaced portions 56, which are lower than.

the portion 51 between said spaced portions. Mercury electrodes 58 arelocated within and through said spaced portions 56 for connection-in anexternal electric circuit for controlling current through said tube;Starting and control electrodes 59 from 1 the outside are mountedthrough the envelope 55. The envelope 55 is also provided with means-forrestricting theflow of current through the tube. This means is in thenature of a slidably mounted shutter 60, capable of extending across theenvelope 55 at a point between the spaced portions 56. The shutter 60 isslidably mounted in an offset portion 6 l, formed at one side ofthe'envelope 55. An armature 52 is mounted on or within the shutter 60.This armature is attractable by an electro-magnet 63, mounted externallyof the envelope 55. Gravity or other forces is depended upon to move theshutter 60 to a, downer open condition. The electromagnet 63 is for thepurpose of raising the shutter 60 across the envelope 55 to cut theelectric arc.

The envelope 55 is shown mounted within a container 64, having severalbailles 65 for guidin the circulation of a cooling fluid. This containerand means externally of said envelope for restricting the flow ofcurrent through said envelope, comprising a' shutter slidably-mounted tomove across said envelope at a, point between said spaced portions, andexternal means for moving said shutter.

2. An electric discharge and switching tube, comprising a closedenvelope of insulation material, having a pair of spaced electrodes forconnection in an external electric current, a medium adapted to beionized, for conducting current through said envelope, a starting-andcontrol electrode outside of said envelope for controllin electriccurrent flowing through said envelope, and means externally of saidenvelope for restricting the flow of current through said envelope,comprising a shutter slidably mounted to move across said envelope'at apoint between said spaced portions, and external means for moving saidshutand means for distorting an arc flowing in the envelope andcomprising transverse baiiies of insulating material projecting into theinterior of the envelope, and magnetic field producing means exterior ofthe envelope and substantially opposite said baflles.

4. An electric discharge and switching tube,

trode for ionizing said medium and controlling I electric currentflowing through said envelope,

means for cooling said envelope, and comprising a container encasingsaid envelope and having an inlet and outlet, and baille means withinsaid container for guiding cooling fluid through the container, andmeans for distorting: an arc flowing in the envelope, said meanscomprising transverse battles of insulating material projecting into theinterior of the envelope, and magnetic field producing means exterior ofthe envelope and substantially opposite the bafiles.

ALFRED VANG.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

